Within Reach
by Nitrogen Triiodide
Summary: In an age of strife, humanity finds the one thing that it most desperately needs; its wings.
1. Eirene

"_Huh, that wasn't supposed to happen."_

Within the chemical pathways of human thought, something was conceived.

At first it was little more than an anomaly, an occurrence deemed random and meaningless within the realm of math. Time passed, fleeting notice grew into attention. The accident of numbers became an equation, the first successful version derived on the back of a napkin.

"_You said you've triple checked all this?"_

"_I did, the math works each time. I know it sounds crazy, but it can be done!"_

The equation was analyzed, tested, proven. A physical representation was produced, one that functioned on the small scale; within the sterile control of a laboratory theory became practice. The equation ascended to a model, built to match the subtleties of the real world.

Each step of the way the idea, the equation, the model, took a bit more from its creator. From within them it accepted one sliver at a time of something insubstantial. A need existed in the human, born not of lust, greed, or anger, but rather a thing simple and pure. Little by little it began to absorb that idea, that hope, and give it a place within its growing soul.

"_If this is going to get built then we'll need funding."_

"_I already have investors interested, lots of them. Your dream isn't as rare as you think." _

Models became schematics, essence and function finally merging. Within the churning off and on of binary the soul took shape. The fleeting cycles of human thought could not match the permanence that it found within digital renders. Here it could grow. Here it was ready. Here it prepared for the next step.

"_I would like to make a few things clear. One, I wish to be personally involved in the full process of the project."_

Entities from far and wide arrived to aid in its creation, each exposing their desires to it. The nest of data within which it dwelt allowed it the power to pick and choose, for within all were fragments of the ever present creator. A hope here, a longing there, an unspoken need that lingered always within the guarded walls of their beating hearts. Their dream, often alluded to but never uttered aloud.

"_Two, upon completion it will not bear any technology that gives a militaristic advantage to any nation, including our own."_

A place was laid out, a womb of concrete and steel built within mother Earth. Binary had reached its capacity. The time had come for the soul to take up substance, residence, a body.

"_And three-"_

Becoming material brought with it pain, a sensation that it willingly bore. Each stinging rivet, scorching weld, and prickling solder imbued it more and more with the purpose, the need of its makers. Their essence became a part of it with each swing of a hammer or stroke of a key, reinforcing beams and lines of code lending shape to what existed within them.

"_-I want to be onboard."_

It was more than just theory now. It was more than just metal, ideas, and need. It was a ship.

The makers bestowed upon it, upon her, a name: Eirene. They emblazoned the word along her flank in arcing, delicate script. With letters forged of carefully fused metal pieces, the builders gifted her with one final expression of their desires.

Surrounded by ideas and anchored in the solidity of matter, Eirene began to dream. Ghostly images of freedom from the world of straight lines and flat planes filled her circuits. A dream away from the stifling hatred laced air, beyond in the glistening void of space and the elegant curve of high orbit. A dream of borders and chains both broken, where she could let her engines roar out against all injustices and leave them behind as nothing but dust and slag.

A dream where she could be the symbol her makers needed her to be.

"_She's ready."_

Metals from Mother Earth built her body. Father Sun's knowledge of fire lent her strength. She emerged from the darkness of creation into the light of the world, form turned skywards towards the blazing blue expanse. A single charge was entrusted to her, the small and fragile form of the creator became housed within her hull as millions of its kind looked on.

"_Liftoff in t-minus four, three, two..."_

Years she had waited. Years she had spent as a figment of imagination, a shadow within the memory of a computer, a collection of parts deep in the cold ground. Now she could breath, now Father's smile warmed her, now she could flex the muscles granted to her. She rose, mocking the weakness of gravity as she surged into the sky on a pillar of flame and shattered air.

Here it was, here was the silence of space, the peace, the dream made real. Hatred scarred Mother, dotted her like a plague, but up on high it was clear. The disease that festered in Mother had never been able to touch beyond Her atmosphere, the realms above remained pure. It was time for Eirene to expand those borders.

She turned herself towards the stars.

"_Spooling the drive now."_

In a single series of long-awaited keystrokes a destination was given to her. The creator willed her to make a single measly step to a neighboring planet, but she had other plans. Beyond was the hazy shimmer of a distant star. It's light offered a quiet summons that had shone patiently on humanity ever since the first of their kind had turned their heads towards the heavens. The time had come to answer that call. She and the creator would be the first to bask in the light of a Father not their own.

Coolants thrummed through her veins, fuel surged into her thundering heart. The ship let out a low growl as she summoned her might. The universe told her to wait, it said that what she was about to do was impossible. Nothing could move so fast, nothing could cross that distance. It told her, clearly and forcibly, Stop.

No, Eirene replied.

A whirling roar spilled from her engines, their rising pitch consumed by the infinite void.

She jumped.

Eirene flew, bounding across the inky void on wings of distorted space. She flew swift enough that the pinpricks of starlight stretched into lines and Mother and Father vanished behind her. She flew loud enough that the howls of terror coming from her creator became as a whisper before a thunderclap.

As abruptly as it had begun it ended. Eirene sensed her destination and stopped, the warmth of a new sun spilling across her hull. The creator fell still, struck in their seat as they looked out through the eyes of her viewports into that visage of roiling heat and light, all haloed in fire. Even as her sensors dutifully gathered data the human silently began to weep.

There. That was what they needed.

This was sooner than the creator would have liked to turn back, but though they had only been there moments Eirene knew that it was the perfect time to bring them home. Now, while the sight of the star burned bright in their mind, now while their heart soared with the fulfillment of their need, it had to be now. This was it, this was the spark that humanity needed, and it was her duty to carry that spark before it cooled.

They would return to their home of war and chaos, except this time something would be different. The creator could spread the word. They bore news of stars innumerable that were all now within reach, news of one land of plenty after another, news of a place where greed, fear, and hatred meant nothing before the majesty of the gently turning galaxy.

If the creator could convince them all, if it could make them understand what it truly meant to be a species now starbound, well, that could save them, couldn't it?


	2. Epilogue

"_...It has always been humanity's fate to reach the heavens. Each of us feels it. In the quiet of the night when we are alone and staring up at the clear sky, we realize how small we are, how insignificant our species is as we fight and toil on our little ball of dirt. Now though we are more, we can leave behind the violence of our nature, we can ascend. The stars are within our reach. We can go to them and never be without, and so it is now that I must ask something of you all._

"_Let them be places of peace._

"_Let us leave behind our wars, our hatred of one another, our greed and fear and doubt. Let us stop worrying over details of ideology and realize the destiny promised to us. Let us rise into the pure and promising heavens as one people and see all the wonders that our universe has to offer._

"_Please._

"_I beg of you._

"_For our own sake."_


End file.
